UPDATED @ 6:40 PM 4:30 PM Opp Mayor and City Council Had Rather Have Ball Field Than Hospital

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
[email protected]
334-790-1729
Date: Sep 11 2022 4:25 PM

UPDATED @ 6:40 PM  

We have now learned the vote was 2 to 2, with the Mayor breaking the tie. 

OPP CITY COUNCILMAN Gary Strickland and Lavon Hines voted against the item. Councilman Skip Spurlin recused because he also serves on the hospital board for Mizell Hospital. Spurlin is reported to have felt he had a conflict of interest. These three did the right thing.

While the Mayor's intentions might have been pure her lack of integrity by not putting this item on the public agenda tarnishes not just herself but those she serves ( citizens of Opp ) for and with ( fellow Council Members. ) My understanding the Mayor did the same thing on Sunday alcohol sales. She did not post on the public agenda and attempted to sneak it through in the darkness and out of the sunlight.

With that in mind, being sneaky means the Mayor can not be trusted.

What I do understand this item was not on the posted agenda for the Opp City Council. This was an added item by the Mayor.

One councilman had a conflict and had to recuse because he serves on the Hospital Board. Two more voted against and two in favor with the Mayor breaking the tie vote.

OPP:   Just when you think those elected to be public office are about to get better, you realize how DUMB and SELFISH they really are.

Something about being elected kills your brain cells.

And now the Opp Mayor and City Council have once again proven how realy stupid, ignorant and selfish some of those elected to office can really be.

NOTE:   This was not confirmed by anyone on the Opp City Council or anyone who works with the City of Opp. Do not forget your meeting is online.

FACEBOOK POST of Katie Wyatt Fuller of Opp. And I have confirmed what she is saying as true and correct. And they are some pissed off folks in Opp Alabama right now:

POST

CLICK TO VIEW THE DUMMIES ON OPP CITY COUNCIL

LONG POST but please read! At the bottom of my post is a very well-written and researched post that was written by my friend, Merrill Culverhouse, who is also a lifelong resident of Opp and a successful, intelligent, caring businessman. I copied and pasted from his post, but first, I’d also like to add my thoughts.

Please go watch the city council meeting and listen carefully! Read every word of Merrill’s post because it is exceptional and it is nothing but facts. In a small town it is hard not to step on toes and hurt feelings because so many of the people we have to disagree with are our friends and even our family.

Opp folks, we CANNOT lose our hospital. Mizell is a crucial part to our city. It’s our largest employer, yes, but it’s also a full-service hospital and just minutes away from any of us who live in Opp. My cousin, Dr. Wheeler A. Gunnels, along with many other as Merrill mentioned, gave his life to MMH and the people of Opp. Until the day Wheeler died, he fought to save and serve MMH. He was not the only one…everyone from administration to nurses and housekeeping and registration have all worked tirelessly to save our hospital because we need it, but also because they believe in it and they know our city needs it and they also love it!

As a realtor and business owner, I’ve said over and over how many people have chosen Opp because we have a hospital right here in our town. Many times I’ve heard our mayor say we can’t lose our hospital, but yet do this! This is wrong! We MUST reverse this and give this money back to our hospital.

I also believe our city workers are the BEST! They deserve way more than what they get paid! If I’m correct we have ample money to give them the well-deserved raises they deserve. First of all, STOP spending time and MONEY on the ballpark south of town. Opp cannot support a multi-million ballpark. Yes, we may get ball games played there, but our infrastructure cannot support it. We will lose people after games because they will go to Enteprise, Andalusia and even Dothan because of the larger selection of hotels, places to eat, and also shopping.

I LOVE Opp. I want Opp to grow, but a ballpark is not the answer! Saving our hospital is the first step. If our hospital has to close the doors, we can pack Opp up! When we lost our mills and factories to overseas, we lost so much. Don’t take our hospital or Opp will go from a quiet, friendly town to a ghost town and what businesses we do have will fold! Theee are FACTS people!

This is about what’s right for our city. It’s not time for publicity! Doing what’s right is what this is about!

There is another answer! Let’s find it! -Katie

Merrill’s post:

Long post warning!! Please read entire post and do not scroll past.
For many people that do not know, because it wasn't "highly" publicized, on Tuesday night our City council voted to withhold 1/2 of a 1 cent sales tax that was passed a few years ago in order to aid our local hospital. The City said this was necessary in order to give raises to city employees. DO NOT take this post as I am against giving city employees pay raises. Our city employees deserve to earn a fair wage.
Our hospital will be losing over $700,000 in federal aid this year, combine that with losing the sales tax, and it is over $1 million in funding. Every rural hospital in Alabama struggles financially. Low & underpayment from insurance companies combined with free services for the uninsured have forced many Alabama hospitals to close. We are very fortunate to have our local hospital and it is vital for us to do everything we can to keep our hospital open. If our hospital closes, everyone loses. Over 200 employees will lose their jobs, and the trickle down effect will have immeasurable consequences for our city and it's residents. Loss of current businesses, citizens and future business and citizens

My father, Vernon, worked for Mizell for over 42 years. He was head of the lab for as long as I can remember. He loved Mizell his hospital family, and our citizens. For people such as my father, Dr Spurlin, Gunnels, Mac, Williams, Lee, Dunn, Mr Don Nelson, the Cotters, the list goes on and on and too many to name, this is such a disrespect to them. These people worked years and sacrificed to make that hospital a go. Hospitals have always struggled, but Mizell employees have always sacrificed in order to keep the doors open.
Now back to funding for city employee pay raises. I do believe there is a way to give pay raises to city employees without taking money from our hospital. There is/are "project(s)" that are unnecessary, that large amounts of money are being used for. The money already spent and monies that will be spent to finish this unnecessary project is more than enough to give city employees their deserved pay raises.
Just so you know how the vote went down.
District 1, Chad Jackson voted FOR taking money away from the hospital.
District 2, Charlotte Hunt voted FOR taking money way from the hospital.
District 3, Gary Strickland voted AGAINST and suggested to give the hospital a year to try to figure out a way to cut costs.
District 4, Lavaughn Hines, voted AGAINST
District 5, Skip Spurlin, abstained because of conflict of interest as he sits on the hospital board of Directors. I am conviced he would have voted AGAINST.
So we are tied 2/2 and our Mayor broke the tie and voted FOR taking funding away from our hospital.
I confronted Chad Jackson after the meeting. He knows exactly how I feel after I told him my thoughts on the situation.
People of Opp, please pay attention to how your representatives vote on issues affecting you and which ones are looking out for the best interest of the City and it's citizens. And keep remembering how they voted on election day!!
I encourage you to make everyone aware of what's happening. Lets flood them with phone calls and voice our opinion. This situation can be changed!!

#tradinghospitalforballparkandeveryoneloses

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